Thread by @CarrieFowlie

I am attending the annual meeting of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (@CND_tweets), the principal policy-making body of the United Nations in drug-related matters. #CND64 is being held in person in Vienna & virtually. In this thread I will share information & reflections🧵⬇️ 1/

I am privileged to be a member of the Australian Civil Society Committee on United Nations Drug Policy.
 
The Committee provides input & collaborates with the Australian Government; participates in @CND_tweets; and encourages dialogue with Australian civil society.
 
#CND64 2/

A small civil society delegation has travelled to Perth (to assist with the challenging 18-hour CET time difference, sessions run 3pm-2am AWST) to participate in #CND64 alongside the Australian-based Government delegation who is working in conjunction with post in Vienna.
 
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A feature of Australia’s participation in @CND_tweets is our government’s commitment to collaborate w/ civil society, both at #CND64 & throughout the year.

This is a testament to the Australian approach & brings to life the partnership principles in our national strategies
 
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The #CND64 12-16 April 2021 program is available here:
 
unodc.org/documents/comm…
 
You can also follow @CND_tweets
 
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Civil society - particularly via the leadership of @VNgoc and @idpc - collaborate to support global engagement and transparency of the work of @CND_tweets.
 
You can follow what happens live at #CND64 via this blog:
cndblog.org
 
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@theVNGOC Chair reminds us that it has been a decade since the last resolution about civil society at @CND_tweets.

Perhaps Member States and civil society could collaboratively develop a resolution for next year’s #CND65?

@UNODCCSU @UNODC @UNODC_HIV @AusAmbVIE #CND64

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Norway’s Minister for Health:
- Highlights importance of UN Common Position
- Promotes anti-stigma approaches
- Acknowledges civil society contributions
- Shares how he changed his mind & is now against punishment/ incarceration of people who use drugs
@NorwayinVienna #CND64 8/

#USA #CND64 country statement represents a paradigm shift:

- Prioritising racial justice

- Expanding #HarmReduction

Read @WhiteHouse the Biden-Harris Drug Policy Priorities for Year 1: bit.ly/3272ROa

More at CND Blog bit.ly/326oDSb

@usembvienna 9/

Drugs, #COVID19 & the most marginalised:
- Unsung #HarmReduction workers
- Seeking to keep #COVID19 criminal justice system reforms in #USA
- Crucial importance of *voluntary* treatment

#CND64 10/

@PompidouGroup remind us that people in prison should receive the same care as people in the community.

Australia has not achieved this. We need to implement needle and syringe programs (ie #hepatitisC prevention) in prisons.

#HumanRights #CND64

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⭐️ Australian women rocked the first #CND64 side event session!

Presentations & research by: @Annie_Madden_
@jude_yc
@NaomiSBS

Blogging by: @Penny_Hill2

Building on decriminalisation model by: @DrCaitlinHughes et al

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Access to controlled medicines event, sponsored by Australia:

@NaomiSBS calls for:
- permanent acceptance of successful #COVID19 adaptations to opioid agonist treatment eg taking medicine to the person; removing access, cost barriers
-#UN to adopt this new evidence

#CND64 13/

#CND64

Executive Director @jude_yc from @INPUD opened the peer-led event “We Are The Evidence” and drew our attention to their new report ⬇️ on peer-perspectives on decriminalisation

#CND64 15/

Powerful calls from @Annie_Madden_ @INPUD report author:

- *Fully* decriminalise people who use drugs

- People who use drugs and their community-led orgs must be involved in *all stages* of reform processes

Full report here: bit.ly/3uQb7yx

#CND64 16/

Australia’s #CND64 country statement:

- Seeking re-election to @CND_tweets, extending 45yrs of membership

Commitment to:
- #HarmReduction & civil society
- Death penalty abolition
- Access to controlled medicines
- ‘Vulnerable’ populations
- Evidence-based drug policy

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Congratulations to @JBridgeUK for his re-election as Chair of the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (@theVNGOC), which coordinates & supports meaningful civil society participation in @CND_tweets & other fora
 
#CND64 18/

Fantastic to have such strong engagement from #Australia’s Ambassador Richard Sadleir in #CND64
 
The Australian Civil Society Committee on UN Drug Policy is grateful for his & other Australian officials ongoing constructive dialogue with civil society.
 
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Strong address by @GlobalFund ⬇️

Important to also highlight that the infectious disease most burdensome for people who inject drugs is #hepatitisC

The World Drug Report 2020 tells us that *50%* of people who inject drugs have hepatitis C
 
@Hep_Alliance @UNODC_HIV #CND64 20/

UN Working Group on Discrimination Against Women & Girls Chair-Rapporteur, fmr #Australian Sex Discrimination Comm’er @LizBroderick:
- law enforcement has failed women who use drugs
- need non-custodial options to imprisonment & to integrate human rights in drug policy #CND64 21/

Devora Kestel @WHO reminds us of @UNODC #WHO @UNAIDS & @ohchr joint statement on #COVID19 in prisons:
- calls for continuity of healthcare from prison to community
- highlights the over-representation of people living #ViralHepatitis in prisons bit.ly/32h6f93 #CND64 22/

There has been a lot of discussion at
#CND64 on what constitutes ‘essential’ health services.

@WHO reiterated firmly:

Harm reduction & #hepatitis services are essential

bit.ly/3tkBHzi 23/

@MarieNougier delivered @IDPCnet’s strong NGO statement:

- People who use drugs are criminalised in 85% of countries
- 2.5 million people in prison for a drug offence
- Civil society spaces becoming increasingly restricted

#CND64 24/

Important @theVNGOC leadership in our region:

- Asia-Pacific civil society working group formed, chaired by @Penny_Hill2

- Builds on global Civil Society Task Force on Drugs recommendations for enhanced regional engagement

- Developing a Common Position in 2021

#CND64 25/

We are so proud of Australia.

Excerpt from our impassioned statement at a #CND64 event against the death penalty:

Excellent #CND64 event on implementing the Human Rights & Drug Policy Guidelines bit.ly/2QjhTxE

Governments & others are using them to review compliance w obligations

Perhaps Australian Gov & civil society inc people w lived experience could do a joint assessment?
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Australia’s National Drug Strategy does not reference #HumanRights

Unlike our National #HepatitisC Strategy where human rights is a principle & a goal ⭐️⭐️

We need human rights underpinning all our national policies

#CND64 28/

Powerful and all too rare #IndigenousPeoples voices in @CND_tweets

@MaeKattNP & Carol Hopkins @ThunderbirdPF called for:

- Community led & controlled responses

- Addressing root causes (eg poverty) & consequences (eg trauma)

- Law reform (eg decriminalisation)

#CND64 29/

Australia’s two plenary interventions today, support for:

- Innovative & high-quality research
- Evidence-based, balanced health & law enforcement approach
- Harm reduction & demand reduction
- @WHO #INCB @UNODC
- Equity & access to essential health services ⬇️

#CND64 30/

Canadian Government spoke to their world leading approach to #CivilSociety (CS) involvement on their delegation:
- *25%* of #CND64 delegation are CS inc people who use drug & young people
- CS involved in negotiations & informals

A model for Australia to work towards!

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⭐️ The fantastic @bernardchloe10 is Australia’s first ever young person to participate in the @UNODC Youth Forum.

She highlighted Australia’s three pillars approach: demand, supply and harm reduction

Learn more about her here: bit.ly/3mO0VUe

#CND64 32/

Director of @WHO global #hepatitis program @mdoherty_hiv:

- 23% of people living with #hepatitisC could not access their medicine due to #COVID19

- 65% avoided going to care for fear of #COVID19

We need to redouble efforts to achieve elimination goals #SDG3.3

#CND64 33/

@hri NGO statement raised concerns that the @UNODC Strategy 2021-2025 did not include consultation with civil society inc people who use drugs

Echoing other concerns from civil society e.g @idpc ⬇️

See strategy here: bit.ly/3de26cD

Also ❌ No ref to stigma

#CND 34/

Focus on HIV *only* in @UNODC Strategy 2021-25 outcomes is concerning given the #WorldDrugReport 2020 says:

~11.3 mil people inject drugs
~1 mil people who inject drugs are living w #HIV
~5.5 mil people are living w #hepatitisC

Strategy ➡️ bit.ly/3uQhiCy

#CND64 35/

This video ⬇️ presents the all too often demand-supply reduction binary in global drug policy at #CND64

In contrast the Australia has a three pillars approach: demand, supply & *harm reduction*

#HarmReduction is also a principle in the National #HepatitisC Strategy

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⬇️ Great to see #CivilSociety in this @UNODC video.

Highlights that drug services (which includes #hepatitis services) are *essential*

And they need:
- Integration into healthcare systems
- Appropriate funding
- Public health & #HumanRights alignment

#CND64 37/

@WHO & #CivilSociety dialogue:

- Importance of peers, affected communities, people who use drugs in the delivery of essential services inc #HarmReduction

- UN Common Position implementation being led by the Task Team including to #UN country teams

#CND64 38/

Strong comments from @INCB_President Cornelis de Joncheere about the invaluable role of #CivilSociety.

He noted that sometimes civil society are the *only* providers of essential health services.

Read more ➡️ bit.ly/2OS8PPQ

#CND64 39/

Giovanna Campello @UNODC_PTRS Director:

- Without needle & syringe programs, opioid agonist treatment & social support people die

- The next frontier is supervised consumption services

#CND64 40/

⭐️ Congratulations to the star Australian @Penny_Hill2 for her re-election to the @theVNGOC Board!

Fantastic to have perspectives from our region on this important governance structure that supports #CivilSociety voices in the #UN

#CND64 41/

“Criminalization of drug use, restrictive drug policies and aggressive law-enforcement practices are key drivers of the HIV & #hepatitisC epidemics among people who inject drugs”

Read more of this @UNODC @UNAIDS @INPUD et al publication here: bit.ly/32oww5m

#CND64 42/

“These factors⬆️ together w discrimination marginalization stigmatization & violence drive people who inject drugs underground & exclude them from proper access to the #HarmReduction & health services they need to prevent OD & protect themselves from HIV & #hepatitisC” #CND64 43/

@theVNGOC & @NYNGOC1 joint intervention highlighted:

- How valuable the webcast of #CND64 plenary sessions in the official languages has been

- Importance of maintaining this development for #CND65 to maximise #CivilSociety participation in addition face-to-face

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After a long, hard week of negotiations by Member States four resolutions were adopted at #CND64.

The most significant one (from a #hepatitis perspective) is L5 co-sponsored by Australia ⬇️

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#Hepatitis is mentioned once in one of the four resolution adopted at #CND64, which is about accessing services and support

See res: bit.ly/3sqd6I1

Perhaps there could be a greater focus on #HepatitisC & #HepatitisB at next year’s #CND65?

We stand ready to assist

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Congratulations to the Australian Government & civil society delegations on a successful #CND64

Some of us meeting on Whadjak land ⬇️

Thoughtful of our incredible privilege to live mostly safe from #COVID19 in Australia & sending love to communities @theVNGOC @CND_tweets
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Some #CND64 reflections, need:

-To recognise *50%* of ‘drug deaths’ (people) are due to #hepatitisC ⬇️
-More focus on intervention outcomes (eg reduced death, improved health, cost savings)
-More #hepatitis voices/visibility in Member States @UNODC @UNODC_HIV #CivilSociety

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At #CND64 there were important dialogues about:
⁃#IndigenousPeoples
⁃#HumanRights
⁃#Equity
⁃#Racism
⁃Marginalisation
⁃Vulnerability
⁃#Stigma etc

While challenging & change is (very) incremental, these global conversations need to keep going

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The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has called on countries to #RaiseTheAge of criminal responsibility to at least 14 years old

If Australia did this 600 fewer children would be imprisoned each year

More ➡️ raisetheage.org.au

#CND64 50/

To mark #RCIADIC30Years & the end of #CND64 I visited Wadjemup to pay my respects to the Warriors, Lawmen, Elders & boys

This is the largest Aboriginal deaths in custody site in Australia

373 Aboriginal prisoners are buried in unmarked graves

Learn more bit.ly/2RJYdUn

#CND64 #CND2021

Unroll please @threadreaderapp

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